Toyota, Microsoft Team Up To Make Your Car More Human

Apr 06, 2016Madeline HaynesComments Off on Toyota, Microsoft Team Up To Make Your Car More Human

Want your car to become, well, more human? Well, so does Toyota. So it’s teaming up with Microsoft to create personalized connected car technology that will make your ride think more like you do.

The two companies are teaming up in a joint operation called Toyota Connected. The whole idea is to create the next level of in-car connectivity to provide you with personalized information based on everything the car can learn about you.

Basically, the new system gets to know you. Your driving habits, the type of food you like, where you go to events, and how good of a driver you are. It then provides you with an edited set of information of what you want, when you want it. For example, when making food recommendations, it will base it off previous choices and stored data.

The goal of the project according to head Zack Hicks is to free drivers from “the tyranny of technology.” This will help avoid the flood of information and “help us return to our humanity.”

Toyota is investing $5.5 million on the project to start and is basing it out of its new headquarters in Plano, Texas. Part of the plan makes use of Microsoft’sAzure cloud technology to provide a bank of information.

More custom features include the ability to know when you are driving to an event, help you find and then prepay for parking. Another handy feature is the ability to get drivers lower insurance policies by keeping track of their driving.

Cars will also connect to one another and share information including real-time traffic. The technology will also take note of traffic patterns for better route recommendations.

But wait, there’s more. The technology will also keep track of driver’s health by collecting data including heart rate. The system could even call emergency services if necessary.

If you’re worried about privacy, Toyota says don’t be. Toyota assures us that drivers can pick and choose what technology they want on at any given time.

Toyota says it plans to begin offering the first of these telematic updates within the year.